The Government is planning to set up 20 centres to combat poor standards of literacy and numeracy among primary children in disadvantaged areas. Details of the scheme will be announced in a key speech by Gillian Shephard, the Education and Employment Secretary, next month.
She is also expected to announce 50 projects designed to tackle truancy and help disaffected pupils.
Up to 10 primary literacy centres, plus 10 specialising in helping children who fall behind in maths, are to be established.
The initiative was briefly outlined after last month’s Budget, when Mrs Shephard revealed that she wanted a network of centres to work with groups of primary schools.
Working with the Office for Standards in Education, the centres would draw on inspectors’ advice about effective teaching and learning in the core skills. They will provide support for teachers and work with them on raising standards.
It is understood that they will cost around Pounds 5 million, paid for by an unexpected increase in the Grants for Educational Support and Training programme.
Mrs Shephard secured an extra 30 per cent to fund special projects through the programme, despite Treasury plans to cut it back.
Education authorities are to be invited to bid to have the centres in their areas. The bids have to be with the Department for Education and Employment by February 9. The centres will open next September and will be run for five years by a central body.
The initiative was welcomed by education authorities. David Rigby, director of education for the Wirral, which will be one of the authorities making a bid, said: “Numeracy and literacy are important issues, and any authority will be concerned about them. We are just implementing initiatives designed to help schools look at the issues and put strategies into place.”
The Government this week announced that another Pounds 3 million will be made available from the GEST budget for the projects on truancy and disaffected pupils.
The announcement followed the publication of an OFSTED report criticising pupil referral units, used for difficult pupils and truants.
Mrs Shephard is due to spell out further details in her speech to the North of England conference in Gateshead early next year. In September she announced a series of other initiatives to help with difficult pupils including new school-based units for children in danger of exclusion.
